Au Sable River Canoe Marathon

The Au Sable River Canoe Marathon (ARCM), presented by Consumers Energy, (also stylized as the AuSable River Canoe Marathon) is an annual 120 mi (193 km) canoe race in Michigan from Grayling to Oscoda. Nicknamed and known simply as "The Marathon," it first ran in 1947, and is perhaps the oldest marathon canoe race in the United States, and is the longest, non-stop, canoe-only race in North America. The race has been billed as "The World's Toughest Spectator Race" as many of the spectators follow the racers overnight down the full 120 miles (190 km) to the finish. Former Grayling resident Jim Harrison wrote an article in Sports Illustrated in 1973 in which he referred to the race as “a night of unmitigated punishment.”